Things You Didn't Know
The first restaurant in the chain had the name T. J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs. The name changed to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar in 1986.
In 2002, Applebee’s established the Heidi Fund to help employees who are in need. The fund is named in honor of Heidi Tomassi, a former Applebee’s server who found $3,300 in cash in an empty booth during the 2002 Christmas season. Despite her family’s significant debt from heart surgeries for her infant son, she turned the money in, and it was returned to person who left it. When stories about her honest act spread, Tomassi received thousands in donations, including one from Applebee’s that more than covered the medical bills. The fund that carries her name now provides money to other associates who face hardships.
Applebee’s restaurants can be found in 49 states and nine other countries, including Egypt, where you can dine at Applebee’s on a barge on the Nile River.
